Door-closing apparatus.



No. 680,458. f Patented Aug. l3, I901.

. 0. H. KINGSLAND.

000B CLOSING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Oct. 31, 1900.)

(No Modal.)

\Mznesses: I W j m [nae/lion UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER n. KINesLAND oE NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HENRY B. NEWHALL, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

DOOR-CLOSING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,458, dated August 13, 1901.

Application filed October 31,1900. Serial No. 35.010. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER H. KINGSLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Door-Closing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of the same.

The present invention is adapted particularly to automatic thermal door-closing apparatus, and is especially designed to provide means whereby the pressure of the door itself will effectively accomplish the release of the locking devices independent of the action of gravity, springs, or other forces upon said locking devices. My invention may be used, however, in connection with other doorclosing apparatus than that operated thermally or automatically.

The important feature of my invention consists in the adjustment of the engagingsuritself insure the separation of these parts and the release of the door.

In the drawings I have illustrated a construction embodying the features of my present invention in what I now regard as the most desirable form.

The construction here shown and described contains various other features of invention, which I do not intend to claim in the Letters Patent for which this application is filed, said features being made the subject-matter of a separate application for Letters'Patent now pending, Serial No. 723,063, filed July 7, 1899, of which said application this was originally part.

In said drawings, Figure 1 shows in elevation the general arrangement of the door relative to the passage which it is designed to close. Fig. 2 shows the looking or securing apparatus in elevation with the front plate broken away. Fig. 3 is a section along line 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4: is a horizontal section of the casing and its inclosed parts, taken at a point near the top of the bolt 8 and looking downward.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 represents a passage or opening, which passage is provided with the fire-door 2. This firedoor is hung or suspended, by means of trolleys 3, upon an inclined track 4. Located in the passage '1 is a thermal fuse or other similar device 5, which is connected with the looking or securing devices 6. The fuse 5 is preferably located in the upper portion of the passage, so that, as is well known, it will be subjected to the maximum heating effect in case of fire.

Referring now in detail to the locking de: vices, these consist of a casing 7, which is secured to the side wall of the passage-way and contains the devices whereby the door is secured in its open position and the devices whereby upon the breaking or weakening of the supporting devices, due to the occurrence of fire or toitheaction of a person desiring to close the door, the door may efiectively and without the aid of any other force accomplish its own unlocking. The door is secured in its open position by means of a bar movably connected with the front plate of the casing, preferably consisting of a simple sliding bolt 8, working in guide-pieces 9 and 10, secured to the front plate 11 of the casing. This front plate is movably secured to the casing 7 by means of hinges 12, and the bolt 8 is moved into and out of engaging position with the door by means of the knob or handpiece 13. Secured to the guide-piece 9 or formed integrally therewith is a catch 14, having an inclined and preferably beveled surface 15, which engages with a correspondingly-inclined surface 16 on an arm 17. This arm 17 is pivoted or journaled to the back plate 18 of the casing, which is secured to the side wall of the passage, and may be connected with the thermal fuse by the link connection shown in Fig. 2 or by any other desired means. As shown. in Fig. 2, the connection between the pivoted arm '17 and the thermal fuse 5 consists of a rod 19, passing I of the arm 20, the other end of which arm is pivoted to the rearplate 18'of the casing 7, the arm 20 and the arm 17 being connected by the link 21.

The operation of the device will now be ap parent.

In the ordinary course of business A the door is pushed along the inclined track to its open position and the bolt 8 is thrustby hand into the path of travel of the door, thus holding it in its open position, the several parts of the locking device being in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. be noted, of course, that the door in its open It will position is constantly pressing against the bolt 8, which pressure is transmitted through 1 the catch 14 to the arm 17 by means of itsiniclined portion 16, this pressure having a con-; stant'tendency to force the arm 17 down andont of the path of the catch 14. This tendf ency is resisted under normal conditions byi the thermal fuse 5 and itsconnectingcord or} chain sustaining the arm 17 in locking en Upon the weakening or destruc- 3 gagement. tion of this support, however, the pressure of the door forces the inclined surfacesof the Z catch 14 and of the arm 17 out of engagement, and then swings the front plate 11 upon the '1 hinge 12, thus moving the bolt 8 out of the locking posit-ion, as shown in dotted lines in 1 Fig. 4, and permitting the door to travel along the inclined track 4 to close the pas.

sage-way.

In all other devices which have come to my knowledge .in which the closing of a-door is, prevented by the interposition of a bolt or.

plate the removal of such bolt or plate from the path or travel of the door-at the desired time has been .made dependent upon the action .of gravity or of springs orof some other force than that of the door upon portions of the locking device. In all such devices the pressure :of the door upon the projecting portion :of the locking device tends to cramp the 1 said device and prevent the free action of, gravity or of the springs or other forceabove referred to.

In some instances the pressure of the door might be great enough to crampv the locking devices, so that they will not opf crate even when released in the intended manner. bility of any such .occurrence by providing the inclined bearing-surfaces above-referred to, whereby the pressure of the door upon the My invention precludes the possiportion of the locking device which projects 1 the locking-bar inposition or of forces act-.

ing directly on the locking-bar other than the pressure of the door. Thus in the modificationofqny invention above described the action of therod 19 being independent ofgravity it will notrbe necessary to wait until the heat generated by'the fire has entirely consumed or destroyed the fuse, 5; but as the same becomes Weakened the door itself may effect the final rupture and operate to close itself long before such action would take place if it were necessary to wait until the fuse was entirely destroyed before a stored force could be applied to unlock the casing.

It is apparent that my invention is applicable to any form of locking devices in which a bar projects into the path of travel of a self-closing door, said bar being maintained in its position by securing devices, which are held fastened bya thermal fuse or other suitable means.

In the modification shown in the drawings and hereina'bove specifically described the bolt may, if desired, be rigidly fastened to the hinged plate or may be made integral therewith; nor is it necessary in the other forms of my device that the projecting bar or bolt should be movable relative to the parts which immediately carry it, although in most cases the use of a movable bolt will be foundadvantageous. In any of these devices, however simple, the introduction of the inclined bearing-surfaces between that part of the locking device which comes in contact with the door and that part which maintains the first portion in position until it is desired to release the same will insure the separation of the said portions of the locking device and the unlocking and release of the door at the desired time. It is also evident that the inclined bearing-surfaces of the said portions of the locking de vice may vary in shape and in position and may be beveled, as herein shown, rounded, or of other form solong as they are relatively arranged so that the pressure of the door will upon the breaking or weakening of the supporting devices cause the separation of the bearing-surfaces and the release of that portion of the locking device which prevents the closing of thedoor. It is also evident that in place of the thermal fuse and the cord or chain connected therewith anyothersuitable device, such as a device controlled by anelectric current interrupted by'the action of heat, may be used for normally maintaining in the locked position the locking devices necessary to prevent the closing of the door. While I contemplate that my invention will be used more particularly in connection with locking devices supported by a thermal fuse or electric devices controlled by a current arranged to be interrupted by heat, yet it is equally adapted for use with locking devices which are not arranged for automatic action, but are controlled by the will of an operator.

I donot wish to be limited to the exact disclosure of the drawings in this case, since it is possible to use parts of the device therein disclosed without employingv the remainder of my invention. It is not necessary in all cases that the retainer or pivoted locking-lever 17 be connected with the second lever 20 to form a compound-lever system, since this compound-lever arrangement is not necessary in all cases to relieve the strain of the selfclosing door acting through the bolt and boltsupport or front plate and through the suitably-inclined surfaces of the support and retainer exerting a strain upon the releasing devices, such as the thermal fuse. It is not necessary that the bolt or catch which engages the door shall slide in the support,

since it may be otherwise movably mounted.

Many other modifications of my device may be made by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A movable catch adapted to be moved into the path of a self closing sliding door, a movable support on which said catch is movably mounted'and means to hold said catch in position and releasable to allow said catch to move out of the path of said door under the influence of said door.

2. A manually-operated catch adapted to be moved into the path of a self-closing sliding door, a movable support on which said catch is movably mounted, and means to hold said catch in position and releasable to allow said catch to move out of the path of said door under the influence of said door.

3. A movable bolt adapted to be moved into the path of a self-closing door, a movable support in which said bolt is guided and means to hold said support in position and allow said bolt to move out of the path of said door.

t. A manually-operated bolt adapted to be moved into the path of a self-closing door, a

' movable support in which said bolt is guided and means to hold said support in position and releasable to allow said support to move said bolt out of the path of said door.

5. A movable bolt adapted to be moved into the path of a self-closing door, a pivoted support inwhich said bolt is guided and means acting upon said support to hold said bolt in the path of said door and releasable to allow said bolt to move out of the path of said door.

6. Asliding bolt capable of being manually moved into the path of a self-closing door, and a device to be connected with a thermal releasing means to releasably hold said bolt in such path and to allow said door, on the action of said releasing means, to move said bolt from such path.

'7. A catch adapted to be extended across the line of travel of a self-closing sliding door, and capable of being manually withdrawn out of such line of travel; a movable support for'said catch, and a retainer to be connected with a thermal releasing means for releasably holding such catch in such path, said retainer being mounted to move out of contact with said support to allow said door to move said catch out of such line of travel.

8. A manually-operated catch adapted to be moved into the line of travel of a selfclosing sliding door, a pivoted support upon which said catch is movabl y mounted and means releasable by excessive heat to hold said support in position.

9. A manually-operated bolt adapted to be moved across the line of travel of a self-closin g door, a pivoted support on which said bolt is guided and a retainer to releasably hold said support in position to be connected with a thermal device to release said support in case of an excessive rise oftemperature.

10. A pivoted device to hold open a selfclosiug door by moving across the path of said door, a pivoted retainer to releasably hold such device in operative position, and coacting means on such device and on said retainer, to cause the pressure of said door to tend to disengage said retainer and such device.

11. A catch adapted to move across the path of a self-closing door, a movable support on which said catch is movably mounted, a retainer and engaging means on said support and retainer to releasably hold said support in operative position to cause the pressure of said door to tend to disengage said support and saidretainer and thereby allow said catch to move out of the path of said door.

12. A manually-operated bolt adapted to move into the path of a self-closing door, a movable support in which said bolt is movable, a retainer engaging said support to releasably hold the same in operative position, the engaging faces of said retainer and support being slanting so that the pressure of said door tends to disengage said retainer and said support and move said bolt out of the path of said door.

13. A manually-operated bolt adapted to move into the path of a self-closing door, a pivoted support having-suitable guides for said bolt and being formed With a slanting memher, a pivoted retainer having a slanting portion to engage said slanting member on the support, a lever connected to said retainer to be connected with a thermal device to allow said bolt to move out of the path of said door in case of excessive rise of temperature.

14. A look adapted to be supported adjacent a self-closing door comprising a pivoted front plate in which is supported a manuallyoperated bolt adapted to be moved into the path of said door, said front plate having a slanting member, a retainer pivoted to the back of said lock having a slanting portion to engage said slanting member of the front plate, a lever pivoted to the back of said lock connected to said pivoted retainer by a link attached to said lever near its pivot, and a bar pivoted to the free end of said lever to be attached to means for releasably holding said retainer in operative position.

15. A movable stop adapted to be moved tag:

into the path of a self-closing sliding door, a

retainer releasably holding said stop in posi-r ing said retainer, the bearing surfaces be-' tween said device and said retainer being inclined to cause upon the breaking or weakening of the supporting means the said surfaces to be forced apart by the pressure of the door and the device released from the retainer.

17 A securing device adapted to maintain a self-closing door in open position, said securing device consisting of the casing having means pivoted thereto to project when the plate is maintained in operative position into the line of travel of the door, a retainer engaging said pivoted means, means arranged to be connected with a thermal device for holding said retainer in engagement with said I pivoted means and means whereby. upon the action of the thermal device the door itself releases the pivoted means from the retainer.

18. A bolt adapted to be moved into the path of a self-closing door,:and means releasablyholding saidlbolt in saidpath,-such means device whereby said bolt is allowed'to move from the path of said door in case of an excessive rise of temperature.

19. Amovable support adapted to be mount= ed adjacent a self-closing door, a manuallyoperated bolt mounted in said support and adapted to be moved into the path of said door, so as to hold said door in open position, and means releasably holding said support in operative position to be connected with a thermal device whereby said support is allowed to move in case of excessive rise of temperature so as to-allow said bolt to move I from the path of said door, the pressure of said door tending to release said support from said means.

20. The combination with a self-closing door, of a sliding bolt capable of being manually moved in the path in which it slides and a device for holding it in that path, releasable by heat for permitting the movement of the bolt out of that path.

OLIVER H. KINGSLAND.

Witnesses:

JAMES N. OATLow, JESSIE B. KAY.

being adapted to be connected to a thermal 7 

